Sewing-machine needle-controlling mechanism



l F. M.' CARD sEwING MACHINE NEEDLE GONTROLLING KEUBANIS Dec. 18, 1928.

' Filed Jan. 21, 1927-- ,s .Smets-shut 2 Dec. 1s, 192s. 1,695,680

` F. M. CARD SEWING MACHINE NEEDLE GONTROLLING HECHANISH' Filed Jan. 21.1927 s lshqt's-shevet 3 IZJ vtwo-needle sewing 'machines and more' espen' atk will renderingpne ofthe needles iiioperaf tive, during adefinitel period of operation of the other needle. The primaryxobj ectof the ,Patented` Dec.` 1s, 1928.

y PATEN OFFICE? N FREDERIC ivi. CARD, or" BnIDGEPoi-ir, c o-Nniicriciir,l.Aussichten lTo, THE ysiivefiin MANU.l

racernaine'coifiiuiivinv .or Eiiizennfrii, NEW JEiisiiY, AcoiiroiaAfrioNor NEW,A

` JERSEY.y

siiwiivsivinciiiiviiy iin-.EDLE no ifrno'nriiiie `iwin'ciL/iivisivi,

Application filed January 21,19%@ Yerial No. 162,609.

i This invention relates to improv'emeiits in cially to that classy oftwo-needle machines particularly adapted: yfor stitching vangular seamsVand in whichl meansare provided for present'invention is to increasethe etliciency Y of sewing machines offthisfcharacter by renf:v dering`them more adaptable to produce op'- positely directed angular' seamsandto that end the invention comprehends the provision of improvedcont-rolling means for at will throwing eitherV needle of a two-needlemachine out of operation and for maintaining the inoperative vneedle outof action-during a predetermined.period of operation of the continuouslyreciprocatedneedle. y

The present needle-bar controlling means: .Y

isin the nature of lan improvement on the controllin' mechanismdisclosed in my prior patent application L.Serial No. 35,854, led

'June 9, 1925,i n which theoperation of a inano ually controlled meansi'for throwing a needlebar out of' action" brings intok operation acounting` device automaticallyV determining the idle period of the`disconnected needle-bar withrespect to the reciprocations 'of the otherneedle-bar. .In the presentv improvement both needle-carrying bars areconnected to their reciprocatingfnieans by disconnectible couplingelements `and al manually shiftable ldevice isinterposedin the train ofconnections. with said coupling elements for predetei'iiiining whichneedle-bar is shown out of action under manual control and later auto--inatically reconnected Vwithits reciprocating nieans by the'counting`device. e

ln the accompanying drawings, Fig., 1 is a front elevation, partly insection, of a portion of the ovcrhanging braclrctfarm ofa two-needlesewing machine embodying the presentimprovements. `Fig. V2 vis a topplan view of a portion of the machine bracket-arm and ofthe partscarried thereby, showing the shifting device in position for manuallydis connecting the left-hand"needle-bar. Fig.

is a'rear side Velevation offtheneedle-bar con- .trollingmechanism'friiounted on l the ,machine bracket-arm. Fig. 4 comprisesdetached perspective views of tlie'lower ends of theneedle bars andVcarrier','including the needle-hold'.-y

inGf clainpsf. Fig. 5 comprises detacliedlper? speotive viewsnf theupper ends (of thence-y kthe line 7 7 of Fig. 1.

dle-barsand their carrier. Fig. 6 is substantially central sectionof'theacounting device. Fig. 7 `is a section.substantially 'on y Fig..8rris a detailpers'pective view of the shifting device 4"for Adeterminingwhich needle-bar is thrown ,out i 2, in which bracket-arm is ournaledthe -ro- 1 tary' inain or needle-reciprocating shaft fAt its forwardend,the shaftlcarries the usual crank-disk 4, connected by means ofdrawings,';there is illusa linlr 5 with a stud 6 projectinglaterally`from asplit collar 7-clamped bymeans of screws,l as 8, upon'. aneedle-bar carrierl `9. The needlebar carrier 9 is iournaled for"endwisereciprocation in. suitable 'bearings pro# vided by an upperelongated'bushing l0 and a lowernbushing 11 fixed in alined apertures inthe head 2. .ThercarrierQ is formed longitudinally thereof with",substantially rectan gul'ar grooves 12 in which/are slidinoly disy posedslab-'sided needle-bars 13'and'14`. 'Y

y,As illustrated more particularlyinFig. .Y f

`the inner or clamping surfacef'oftlie collar 7 is provided withclearancerecesses,y as 15, adjacent the rounded outer surfaces ofthe,needle-barsl?) and 14 whereby theneed-lelln bafrsvareL free from theclamping action ofthe 'colla-r 7 upon the Vcarrier 9. Fitted to thelower end of each of the needle-bars 13 and 14 and secured'by screws, as16, is the vertically V recessed shank-face 17. of a needle-,holder 18.Each needle-holder 18 is formed with a lat-- eral lug 19provided with avertical aperture 2() for the lreception of the shank of aneedle 21,-seciired by a set-screw 22. The lugs 19 are disposed inthe grooves 712of the needle-'carrier 9, while positionedat opposite sides rof thelug19 of each needle-holder are flanges 28, the flanges ofv the ytwoneedlcholdersbeingcompleinental in' embracing the i A carrier 9. Securedbyj the -fscrews ylfiupon eachk needle-holder is "the shank -2470f athread-guidemember 25 projecting laterally from said vshank below theneedle-holder soV kas to ybe Vdisposed 'directly in Aadyance'ofthe.`

needles. The members 25 are each provided Awith an open orself-threading'aperture '26 to receive the thread directedthereto`through y employed to cooperate with the needles in i the formation ofstitches, no particular roten ence is herein made to this mechanism ofthe present machine.

By reference more particularly to Fig. 5, `it will be observed that thegrooved portionot the needle-bar carrier 9 terminates a short dietencebelow the upper end of the carrier, thereby forming shoulders, as 29,and u flut tened exteneion which is provided with a transversecoupling-pin receiving aperture 31. @verlying tho shoulders 29 of thecarrier 9, in the coupled position of the needlebars, are shoulders 3Qand 33 formed below the upper `ende oit the needle-hure` 13 und! 14 byenlarged headc 34 and 35 thereof having ltiet facce 36 and 37 disposedupon opposite sides of `the flattened carrier extension 30. Therespective needle-bur heads 34 and 35 `are formed with aperturedguideboeses 38 and 39 for coupling-pine 40 and 41 projieet` inglaterally from cou )ling-blocks 4:2 and 43. In order toV provideclearance for the bonnes 38 and 39, the bushing 10 ie provided at opposite sides thereof with longitudinal slots, as 44. I

The couplingfblock 42 ie slidingly disf posed opone vertical guide-pin4:5 carried y a reciproca/telly slide-block 4G, said Slide, block 46eing mounted in `a suitable underi cut guideway 47 provided in theforward portion 48 of n` counting-device supporting bracket 49. Thebracket- 49 is secured by a screw 50 upon the bracket-arm 1 of the Ina?chine, being apertured to embrace the buehingV 10, the bracket. carryingthe several ele lnents constituting the Stitch-counting device.

Both needlolmrifa` may he coupled to und uncoupled from the carrier l)by reciprocan Y tory movements derived in the one instance from amanually operated lever and in the other from the counting device. Tothis end, the clinic-block i6 is connected by menne4 of a link 51 Withone end of a lever 52 pivotally mounted in a milled out slot 53 rovdedin an upetanding lug 54 of the brac iet portion 4:3. The other end ofthe lever 52 is connected bynieansof a pivot-screw 55 with one end of alink 56 of which the opposite end car-` riot a rolleristucl 57 providedwith anupper roller 5S and a. lower roller 59. The lower roller 59 isdisposed in a groovcd guideway (S0 formed in a segment-lever (ilcentrally of the length of which dependen vertical fulcruin-pin 62,adaptedto'enter aeuitable `aI-ierture in thebrueket-pertion 48 andsecured therein by a screw 63 to fperniit of horizontal swingingmovements o the lever 6l.

The upper roller 58 1s spaced from the up- Vper sur ace of the link 56to provide clearance for connecting the stud 57 with an apertuced end ofa link l of which the opposite end carries .on ite under side aprojecting roller-stud `of a roller also dispoeed in the guideway G() ofthe lever 6l. The rollerstud 65 affords a connecting medium between thelink 64; and another link 67 pivotally scoured by means of a-sci'ow 68upon one end ot' a lever 69 fulcrumefl intermediate its ends upon ascrew secured upon the bracket? 49- Tbe other end of the lever 69 isconnected by means of a short link 'Z1 with a Slidefbloc( 72 dieposed inanundercut guideWa-y 7,3 provided in the bracket 4&9, Carried` by theslide-block 72 is a vertical guide-pin 74 upon which is slidingl mountedthe coupling block 43 for the right hand needle,

The guideway 6o of the segment-lever 61 is curved in opposite directionsfrom the fulcrum pin 62, the rearward curve of the guidevvay beingarcuate to a radius `cor-respondin to the link 56 while the forwardcurve o the guideu'a is arcuate to a radius corres )ending to the ink67, whereby shifting o' the linkage'dascrbed from the position in Fig. 2of the drawings to that of Fig. 8, or vice verse, may be effected inastationary position of theseginent-lever Gl. In order to shift theroller 5.9 of 'the linkage in the gudeivay of the lever 61, there isprovided a manually operable lever 75 'secured upon the lower end of@Vertical rock-shaft 76 jnurnaled in an apertured boss 7T formed on thebracket 49. Rigidly secured upon the upper end of the rock-shaft 76 isan `arm 78 of which the free end A rovided with a curved slot 79 enteredby t ic. upper roller 58 of the stud 57. The hand-lever 75 projectsforwardly beyond the bracket 49 and is horizontally shiftable betweenlimits determined by spaced stoppins 8O depending from an auxiliaryangle-bracket 81 secured by Screws, :is 82, upon the front side of thebracket 4:9. l'n order to insure that the lever 75 rctaino its left orrighthand pof'itions lunder machine vil'iration, it is preferred to OliIDU

ico

recesses in the under surface ofthe bracket 81 'Y ad'ucent the stop-pinsT80. p Y

ltlis to be understood from the foregoing description that the lever 75is not employedV for coupling or uncoupling the needlebznfa.

but merelv to shift the linkage to determine which meddle-bur willbe'uncoupled from its actuating mechanism upon operation of the .ferre'dto. The actual'coupling or uncou'plingI action, therefore occurs vonlywhen the'seg-` ment-lever 61 isl'vibrated, it being apparentv v manuallykcontrolled mechanisml described in my Vpri or patent applicationhereinbefore rej that the coupling-pin of the left-hand needle only willbefshifteduupon vibrationv of the in 2 because in thatp'o'sition therollerl0,`

stud coincides withthe axis of vibration of the lever y61.l Likewise,whenfthe 'hand- @lever is shifted to its extreme., right posisaid leveris provided witlra ball-joint connection with one end of apitinan`84'iof` which the opposite end is pivotally 'connected with theupper-end of a vibratory arm 85' fulcrumed. upona stud-screw"V86Ithreadedfinto' the bracket:49.fAfspringf87` connected at one end4with'the'bracket 49, andjat'its other end' 'with the arm 85 A'functions yto 'yieldinglly hold said arm in position wherein theneedlebarsare coupled with" `thefcarrier 9' for reciprocationtherewith,the` movement of thek arm r8,5 into this position beinglimited by ranv adjustableV stop-screw 88fthreaded into a lug 89.1 uponthe vbracket 49, The upper end of the arm4 8,5is`also connectedby meansof a yielding linlr90witha" lever'91 adapted to be suitably yactuated`from arftreadl'ev (not shown) in a direction to swingfthe arm away fromthe stop-screw 881` e.,'to'uncvouple g either,

rier9l1 .4

`In order to predeterminethe number of reciprocations of the activeneedle-bargwhile fone of*A the needle-'bars V'fromv its-cartlie other ordisconnected n-eedle-Ebaris idle,` y thereis employeda counting` devicesubstan'- tiallyv as fullydisfclosed in my prior patent applicationSerial' No. 35,854. "This counting device operates yin:conjunction withthe arm 85 from'tlie inner side of whiclip'rojects -a'latch-'pinA 92overlying-the forward end' of y a latch-lever 93 in the stop-screwengaging position of'said arm 85; The latch-lever 93 pivotally mountedupon the bracket 49 Vby means of a screw 94 and the free end thereof isurged upwardly by a spring pressed plunger 95 engaging the under sideofthe lever 98.`

The latch-lever 931s formedatfits forward end with a'l'atching notch-,96and rearward of said notch 96, 'saidlever provided with an inclinedblock 9'Z`whic`h may be adjusted. longitudinally of the,1 lever bymanipulation of adjusted` Y y e y *Y icausesastep-by-step-advancejof*the freeen'd an adjusting screw 98 andsecured in position by meansof a screw 99,y Y i dapted toenvageftheupper surface of the wear-block'97 is atappet 100 secured by means 'ofa' screw 101 upon a rock-shaft 102 j ournaled for oscillationWithinthebore 0f al sleeve 108 whichitself iscapable of rockingmovements within a stationary bushinglOi' fixed in a'suitable apertureformed inthe',

sleeve 108'fisfan'indicator-disk105 through@ adjusting `member A106,having a manipulat-- ing lniob 107recessedto receive a `coil-spring n anaperture inlwhichextendsthe headed endk I ofthesha'ft'102, 'Spline'dgitothe shaft 102 f adjacent the indicator-disk'lOis 'a tappeti' l j 108,4fun-ctioning to yieldingly hold the mem-y berf106 in'rcontact with'the`dislri105L The adj ustingmembe'rlO carriesavpi'n 109 adaptedto enteranyone of a pluralityof graduated apertures 110 formed in thedisl'105ythe selected aperture corresponding -to- 'the der:

respect ,tothe wear-block 97. f

ball-joint connection with the'upper endwof la pitman 112k ofi-'whichthe lower end is'provided with a strap 113 embracing anV eccentric; 114-upon the V"main-shaftv, whereby the rocker-arm' 111 iscontinuouslyQoscillated f j during theoperation of 'the-machine.`'-fPiv-;

o'tally 1noi'uitecl"`uponthelrocker-arm-111 is a 'pawl 115 adapted inits .operativeposition to len gage ,thev peripheral teeth of :aratchetwhe-e111@ suita" ingly held against an adjustable stop-screwsired initial position of the: tappet 100 with;

v lyiixed" upon the sleeve 103; The ratchet-wheel 116 is under theaction of kme f 119. While thepawl v is yieldinglyurged i -rbyafwsp'rin'gf120 vcooperatively engage, the

teeth of the ratchet-wheel',fitis held out'of engagement'therewithfyinthe coupled position of the needle-bars, by `the underlying 'j freeend`of a stop-pawl'121engaged by-'a pin 122 vprojecting yfromth'e'innersideof the arm 185. 7 j j ln' t-he normal operationA of `'themachine, the: ,needle-bars are both coupled; for reciprocationl with thecarrier 9 'and-the arm` 85 is n held against the stop-screw 88 by thespring 87.',whereby` the latch-pin 92 overlies and holdsV depressed thelatch-lever 93, while fthe pawls'1`15 and 121 vareheld out ofengage-A4ment with Athe ratchet-wheel asdcscribed, so

thatthe arm 111 rocks idly. f VVheni-it isY desired to makean angleseam, the lever 591 isV treadle-actuated `to swing the arm 85 away fromthe stop-screw88, Whereuponsaid arm 85 is locked in position by theengagement of the ylatch-pin 92 with Vthe not-chef the latch-` lever98and thepawl`s1115,'121 arepermitted t'oengagethe ratchet-wheel'llf;v-The resulting intermittent rotation` of the ratchet-wheel of thetappeti 100'-unt`il it engages-the` wearblock`97 anddepressesthe'latch-lever 93 to1 i ably mounted upon said carrier,shiftable l coupling elements.Y disconnectibly coupling the needle-barswith said carrier, an actuable member, shiftable means for selectivelyconnecting said'member withv the couplingeler ments of eitherneedle-bar, and means for operating said shiftable means independentlyof the operation of said member.

7 The combination'` with the actuating mechanism of a sewing' machine,of a pair of reciprocatoiy needle-bars, shiftable coupling elementsdisconnectibly couplingy the needle-bars withy said.actuatingmeclianisin` reciprocatory. needle-bars, shiftable couplingkelements disconnectibly coupling thejneedlebars with said actuatingmechanism, a vibratory lever, links interposed between. said lever andeach of said coupling elements, means for alternately shiftingsaid-links to a. neutral position upon said lever ,to alternately shiftthe coupling elements upon actuation of said lever, and means forLactuating said lever.

9. The combination with the actuating mechanism of a sewing machine, ofav pair of reciprocatory needle-bars, shiftable coupling elementsdisconnectibly coupling the-needlebars with said actuating mechanism, avibratory lever, links interposed between ,said lever and each of saidcoupling elements, means for. at e will rendering either one oi` saidlinks ei'ective to shift a coupling element upon ac- VVtuation of saidlever, means for vmanually actuating said lever in one direction, andautomatically acting means for actuating said lever in the oppositedirection.

10. The combination with Vthe actuating` mechanism of a sewingr machine,of a pair of reciprocatory needle-bars, shiftable coupling elementsdisconnectibly coupling the needlebars with said actuating mechanism, alink 'operatively connected with each of said coupling elements, avibratory double-armed segment-lever, a shiftable connection between 1'the position of said arm.'V

naine to this specification.

` each of said linksand anarm of said segnientlever in a stationaryposition of said lever,

and means or'actuating said segment'lever.

,11. The combination with the actuating mechanism of'a sewing machine,of a pairy of reciprocatory needle-bars, 'shiftable coupling elementsdisconnectibly coupling the needle- `bars with-said actuating mechanism,a Ivibratory segment-lever, link connections. be-V tween said lever andsaid couplingelements,

.means for simultaneouslyv shifting oneV of said links connections to anactive portion of andv the other link connection to a neutral position"`upon saidsegnient lever, and means for tuating said segment-lever.

12. In a sewino machinev the combination Y witha pairof reciprocatoryneedle-bars, and

actuating mechanism for said needle-bars f including a disconnectiblecoupling-element v for each needle-bar, of a segment-lever, separateconnections between said lever andL each of said coupling-elementsvalternately shiftable to la neutral position upon said lever,;a

vvibratory arm, operative connectionsv between said arin and thesegment-lever, manually operable means for' `actuatingthe `vii Vloratoryarmfin one direction to shift a cou-y pling element into uncoupledposition, and'V ay stitch-counting device actingautomatically to effecta recoupling movement of said ele-` ment.l

13. In a .sewing machine, thecombination f with a pair of reciprocatoryneedle-bars, and actuating mechanism `for reciprocating saidneedle-bars, of means for disconnecting a needle-bar .from andreconnecting it with its actuating mechanism incl'udinga vibrato-ryarm,a latch-lever for 'holding said arm in pof sition to temporarilyymaintain a needle-bar disconnected from its actuating mechanism, astitch-counting device automatically acting to unlatch-said arm topermit recoupling oithe needle-bar with its actuating mechanism,

and a .safety member connected with said latch-lever for rendering saidstitch-counting device inoperative when Vsaid vibratory arm isYunlatched from said lever, regardless oft In testimony *whereoi I havev,signed my v y niinnnnioii. CARD.

ioo

